Tufting-machine.



No. 7|4',44'|A y Patented Nov. `25, |902.

` J. C. BORGWARDT W. CONSUER.

TUFTING MACHINE. (Application filed Nov. 13, 18,99.)` Y (No Model.) i i2 Shady-Sheet I.

Y `Z Z `39197 l1 ,as f3 e2 l Figi-76 f2 www IIIIIIII l 'Patented Nw; 25,|902. J. c. BonGwAnnT & w. cousosm JM TUFTING MACHINE. (Application ldNov. 13, `189g.) Y

- No. 714,444.Y

(No Model.)

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. BORGWARDT AND IVILLIAM CONSOER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORSTO vALFRED FRESCHL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TUFTlNG-IVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 714,441, dated November25, 1902.

Application filed November 13, 1899. Serial No. 736,833. (No model) Toa/ZZ whom, i may concer-n,.-

Beit known that we, JOHN C. BoRGwARDr and WILLIAM CONSOER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTufting-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to bea full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to a novel construetion in a tufting machine orapparatus, the object being to provide a device of this character whichwill enable the upholsterer to quickly makea complete Vtufted cushionfor couches and other furniture; and it consists elevation of thetufting board or table, show ing another means for fastening the canvasor other fabric stretched over same. isa detail sectional view on theline l0 10 of Fig. 1.` Figs. 7, 8, 9, and lO are fragmentary detailsections showing modified forms of construction of the tufting board ortable. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail section showing a modified formof devices for bending the button-Shanks. I Fig. 2 is a detail sectionalview on the line 16 16 ofFig. 6. Fig. 13 is a detail sectional View of atufted cushion, showing the button bent and retained by theretaining-plate. Fig. 14 is a detail sectional view on the line 18 18ofFig. l.

top planview of-a `modified form ofguidepiece to be mounted on `thesides of the tufting-board to receive the side retaining-plates. Fig. 16is a section of same on the line 20 20 of Fig. 15.`

One feature of our invention consists in providing a tufting-machinewherein all the Fig. 2`

Fig. 15 is a steps off making a completed cushion are manuallyperformed.

Another feature of our invention consists in providing suitable devicesat the orifices of said openings to hold in place over same 4 y buttons3 are generally used in combination with retaining plates or Washers 12on the under side of the cushion, said openings 11 are preferablysurrounded at their oriiices with suitable devices for holding saidretaining plates in place over same. Said devices consist, preferably,of an annular countersink 13, surrounding the orifice of each openingand adapted to receive said retaining-plates 12. Said devicesmay,\however, consist of an annular shoulder 14, as shown in Fig. 9,surrounding each of said openings 11 and adapted to enter the concaveportion of the plate, and thereby hold same in place. Other devices of asimilar nature could obviously be used; but we desire it to beunderstood that any means for holding said retaining-plates in placefalls within the scope of our invention. "Said board 10 is preferablysufliciently thin-to permit the button-shank to project below same afterpassing through the retaining-plate and material above same, so that itcan be readily bent by any suitable means. The said board 10 ispreferably mounted parallel with and above another board-15, which iscovered over its entire surface or at points below the openings 11 withsheet metal o r a similar hard material 16, which is impervious to thepoint of the button-shank, so that when the latter strikes such hardsurface and is pressed down upon the same it will be caused to bend, thebending-point' being predeter- ICO` mined by weakening the shank at agiven point in the class of upholsterers buttons preferably used inconnection with our device. In this class of buttons the length of theshank below the bending-point is greater than the radius of the openings11, so that it is necessary to provide a space of sufficient radiusbelow the openings 11 to permit said end of said shank to enter freely.This may be accomplished by providing an intervening space 17 betweenthe boards 10 and 15, as shown in Figs. 3, 6, 7, and 9, or bycountersinking or enlarging the lower orifice of the openings 11, 'asshown in Figs. 8 and 10. In the last-named figures we have shown themetal plate 16 secured directly to the lower face of the board 10, whichobviously performs the same function as when mounted upon the board 15.Where the intervening space 17 is employed, the same is formed byinserting cross-pieces 18 between the two boards 10 and 15 or in anyother manner raising the board 10 out of contact with the board 15 orits covering 16. Instead ot' said sheet-metal covering 16 small circularplates 18L may be secured to the board 15 below said openings 11 in any1suitable manner, as shown in Fig. 7, the upper faces of said platesbeing concave to cause the button-Shanks to bend more sharply than wherea plane surface is used, as will be obvious. Other means for bendingsaid button-Shanks may also be employed-as, for instance, the deviceshown in Fig. 11, which consists of a plurality of parallel plates 19,pivotally secured to the lower face of the board l0 and dependingtherefrom, each of said plat-es passing underneath a line of saidopenings 11 to one side of the centers thereof and all pivotallyconnected to a cross bar or rod 20, by means of which said plates may beswung to the position indicated in dotted lines, thereby bending overany shank lying in their respective paths, or said plates 19 may also beomitted and the shanks bent by hand, if so desired. Said board isprovided with side rails 21, provided with recesses 22, which open atthe top and outer faces of said side rails. Adjacent said recesses 22 weprovide suitable vertical guides 23 for receiving and holdingretaining-plates in front of same. The said guides may be formed bysecuring plates 24 to the outer faces of said side rails 2l between eachtwo recesses 22 and of a width to enti rely cover the interveningspace,the edges of said plates being bent slightly outwardly adjacentsaid recesses 22, thereby leaving small spaces between said plates andthe adjacent face of the side rail, thus forming said guides. Theinnermost sides of said recesses 22 are also lined with sheet metal orsimilar hard material which will cause a button-shank to bend whenforced against the same. Another convenient method for securing the sameresult consists in fitting into each recess 23 a casting 25, (shown inFigs. 6 and 12,) said casting having four Walls, of which the twovertical side walls are provided on their inner faces with guide-grooves26 to receive the retaining-plates. The same result will be accomplishedby the construction shown in Figs. 15 and 16, where each recess in theside rails is provided with a back-plate 42, having a dish-shaped recess43 to receive the washer, which is slipped in through the open topthereof and held in position by a faceplate 44, having a central portion45 to permit the passage of the button, but of less diameter than therecess 43 to form retainingshoulders 46, the bottom of the receptaclethus formed preferably being inwardly beveled, as shown in Fig. 16.Thesaid side rails 21 may be made adjustable, as shown in Fig. 14, toaccommodate various widths of cushions. Said board 10 is provided,preferably, with rigid end rails 27, provided at their ends withopenings 28 to receive the ends of setscrews 29, a nut 30 beingintroduced through transverse recesses 31 and extending transversely insaid openings 28 to engage said setscrews. The latter are provided withcollars 32 adjacent their outer ends, which enter enlargements 33 of theopenings 34 and are held in place therein by means of pins 35,intersecting said enlargements 33 of said openings 34. 'lhe outer endsof said screws 29 are provided with pivoted heads 36, which may beturned to lie against the outer faces of the side rails after the latterhave been adjusted. When said tufting-table is designed for upholsteringcouch-tops in which a head- IOO rest is formed, the said board isprovided between its ends with a transverse groove 37, which terminatesat the side rails 21, the latter being provided in alinementl with andadjacent the bottom of said transverse groove with openings to permitthe passage of a rod 38 therethrough and spanning said groove. The saidgroove 37 is adapted to recess a certain portion of the fabric formingthe base of the cushion and forming the division between the bodyportion and head-rest portion of the cushion.

In using our tufting-board the operator first places his retainingplates or washers 12 in place over the openings 11 when it is desired touse Washers, then lays his fabric B, which is to form the base of hiscushion, over the board in proper position. If the cushion is designedto havea body and head-rest portion, he first depresses a fold of hisbase fabric or backing into said groove 37 and cuts slits in the ends ofthe fold to permit the rod 38 to pass therethrough. After passing saidrod 38 through to prevent withdrawal of the slackf as such fold istermed, he stretches the base fabric over the entire board to secure asmooth plane surface, the said fabric being secured either by pinspassing through the depending portions and into openings 39 in said sideand end rails, or preferably he forces said fabric over the ends of pins40, projecting downwardly from the lower faces of said side and endrails, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The latter means of fastening is IIOsimpler and more efficient. I-Ie then lays his passes a given line ofthe shanks of the butl introduced in the proper manner to form theraised tufts in the cushion. Then the second line of button-Shanks ispassedthrough the corresponding line of retaining-plates, and so onuntil the cushioniscompleted. Af-

`ter the top tufts or body-tufts are finished the operator forms theside tufts, `first plaiting the cover to take up the slack corresponding`to the fullness of the body-tufts and then` piercing it at the properpoints by inserting i a button-shank through the plait, passing thelshank through its corresponding side retain-` ing plate or washer l2.`The successive stepsf in the formation of the cushion are illustratedin Fig. l, which shows at the right-hand side,

first, the apertures or openings ll in the board or table before thewashers are in place;y second, the apertures after the washers 12 areinserted in their seats; third,aportion of the backing or base fabric Bstretched over the washers in their seats; fourth, the` fastening-rodemployed to form the slack in` the bottom fabric or backing to permit ofthe elevation or tilting of the head-rest section of the pad; fifth, .asection of the top cover showing the button shanks or prongs insertedtherer Same'.

through, and, sixth, a `portion of the `completed cushion,showing theformation of the tufts. After thus completing the cushion the basefabric is released, the rod 38 withdrawn,

and the cushion removed.

By means of our device any unskilled person can after a weeks practicecompete with the most expert upholsterer in the production of tuftedcushions.

We claim as our inventionl.` In a tuftingmachine, a tufting-boardprovided at intervals with recesses, and stationary clenching devices inalinement with the orifices of said recesses and below the 2. In atufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervals withperfor-ations having orifices surrounded by devices for holding aretaining-plate inplace over same.

3. In a` tufting-machine,a tufting-board provided at intervals withapertures, each of said apertures being countersunk at its orit tice toreceive and hold a retaining-plate thereon.

y l 4.. In awtufting-machine, a tufting-board provided atintervals withrecesses, said recesses having their orifices surrounded by devices forholding retaining-plates in position over same, and a hardmaterial inalinement with the orifice of each of said recesses,

whereby a button-shank pressed down upon the same will be bent.

5. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervals withrecesses, said recesses having their oriiices surrounded by annulargrooves for holding retaining-plates in position over same, and a hardmaterial in alinement with the orifices of said .recesses adapted toresist and cause a button-shank ,to bend when forced down upon the same.

6. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board having recesses therein atintervals, said recesses being of less area at their upper than at theirlower ends, and a hard material in alinement with the orifice of each ofsaid recesses,whereby when a button-shank is forced upon the same itwill be bent.

7. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board having recesses therein atintervals, each having a countersunk orifice adapted to receive and holda retaining-plate in place over same, said recesses being of less areaat their upper than at their lower ends, and a hard material inalinement with the orifice of each of said recesses, adapted to cause abutton-shank forced down upon the same to bend.

8. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervalsWithrecesses, and provided with side rails having recesses, saidrecesses in said board and said side rails .being provided with adjacentdevices for holding retaining-plates in placeover same.

9. In a tuftingmachine, a tufting-board provided at intervals withrecesses in its top and sides, said recesses being bordered by devicesfor holding retaining-plates in position ovei` same.

10. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervals withrecesses in its top' and sides, said recesses being bordered by devicesforholding retaining-plates in position `over same, and a hard materialin alinement with the orifice of each of said recesses.

ll. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board `provided at intervals in itstop with recesses having lcountersunk orifices, and having recesses inits sides,said side recesses being open at the top.

l2. In atufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervals in itstop with recesses i having countersunk orifices, and having recesses inits sides,saidside recesses being open at the top and bordered by guidesfor receiving retaining-plates. i

13. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervals in itstop with recesses having countersunk orices, and having recesses in itssides, said side recesses being open at the top and lined on theirinnermost sides with a hard material.

14:. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervals in itstop with recesses having countersunk orifices, and having recesses inits sides,said side recesses being open IVO IIO

at the top, lined on their innermost sides with a hard material, andbordered at their orifices by guides for receiving retaining-plates.

l5. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board comprising two boards mountedone over the other, the lowermost board being covered with a hardmaterial, and the uppermost board being provided at intervals withperforations.

16. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board comprising two boards mountedone over the other, the lowermost board being covered with a hardmaterial, and the uppermost board being provided at intervals withperforations bordered by devices for holding retainingplates in placeover same.

17. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board comprising two superimposedboards the uppermost of which is provided with perforations atintervals, and the lowermost of which is covered with a hard materialunder each of said perforations, and means for providing an interveningspace of greater diameter than said perforations between the said loweroritice of each of said perforations and the top of said lowermostboard.

I8. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board comprising two superimposedboards the uppermost of which is provided with perforations atintervals, and the lowermost of which is covered with a hard materialunder each of said perforations, and an intervening space between saidboards.

19. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided in its top withrecesses at intervals, and between its ends with a transverse grooveadapted to receive slack in the goods forming the base of the cushion,and forming the dividing-line between the head-rest portion and body ofthe cushion.

20. In a tufting-machine, a tuft-ing-board provided in its top withrecesses at intervals, a transverse groove between the ends of saidboard adapted to receive slack in the goods forming the base of thecushion, and means for holding said slack against withdrawal from saidgroove.

2l. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided in its top withrecesses at intervals, a transverse groovein said board between its endsadapted to receive slack in the goods forming the base of the cushion,and a pin adapted to pass through said slack portion to hold sameagainst withdrawal from said groove. v

22. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided in its top and sideswith recesses at intervals and between its ends with a transverse grooveclosed at its ends and adapted to receive slack in the fabric formingthe base of the cushion, and a pin adapted to pass through openings inthe closed ends of said groove and through said fabric to hold saidslack against withdrawal.

23. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board comprising a lower boardcovered with a hard material, a perforated board divided between itsends mounted over said lower board so as to leave an intervening space,rigid end pieces on said board, recessed side rails, and devices passingthrough said side rails at the point of division of the upper board forholding slack fabric in the space between the two parts of said upperboard.

24. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-table provided in its top with aseries of recesses surrounded at their orifices with devices for holdingretaining-plates in place over same, and devices on said board forsecuring the base fabric for a cushion stretched over said board.

25. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-table provided in its top with aseries of recesses surrounded at their orifices with devices for holdingretaining-plates in place over same, and devices on said board forsecuring the base fabric for a cushion stretched over said boardcomprising pins projecting downwardly from the lower face of said boardadjacent its edges.

26. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided at intervals withrecesses, and adjustable side rails on said board provided with recessesin line with the recesses of the board, and having clenching devices,and bordered by plates offset at their edges to form guides forreceiving and holding washers.

27. In a tufting-machine, a tufting-board provided in its top withrecesses at intervals and between its ends witha transverse grooveadapted to receive the cover material, side rails on said board, and apin passing through the openings in said side rails and through saidrecess for holding said material against withdrawal.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN O. BORGW'ARDT. WILLIAM CONSOER.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH WM. LoTZ, WM. B. SNowHooK.

IOO

